After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 6

“Hello?” Shen Qing’s voice came through.

Xu Wanxin.

What on earth was she doing here?

Du Yaozhi looked up, eyes filled with suspicion. She set down her bamboo skewer and shot a meaningful look at Zhou Yue.

Zhou Yue, her cheeks stuffed with food, jumped at the sudden commotion outside. She frantically took a large swig of beer to wash everything down, swallowing her food in one go.

“Useless! You’re all completely useless!” a voice shrieked. “You can’t even handle the smallest thing! You’ve made a total fool of me! That video has spread overseas now, how am I supposed to show my face in the industry ever again?!”

“And then you bring me to this pathetic, stingy hole to eat? Do you want me dead?!”

From the booth next door came the sharp, piercing sound of glass shattering against the floor.

While the soundproofing here was mediocre, you usually couldn’t hear a normal conversation. However, Du Yaozhi hadn’t expected Xu Wanxin to make such a scene. She sounded absolutely livid.

“Miss Xu, please, calm down! Just calm down! This area is remote; there aren’t any decent places nearby. You… you said yourself you were so hungry you couldn’t stand it…”

“It’s not worth making yourself ill over. Just make do for now. When we get back, I’ll have the kitchen prepare some high-end bird’s nest congee for you. You’re the daughter of the company chairman, how could you possibly lose face?”

It sounded like her assistant, their voice dripping with a level of subservience that made them sound almost pathetic. Du Yaozhi only caught a few words.

“Is that… Xu Wanxin?” Zhou Yue whispered, her eyes wide with shock. “What are the odds of bumping into her here?”

“It’s her.” Du Yaozhi listened intently, straightening her back, the fabric of her knit sweater tightening slightly with the movement.

The tirade next door continued.

“You’ve got a nerve, haven’t you?” Xu Wanxin barked at her assistant, her tone laced with venom.

“That fansite photographer was so obvious with her lens—it was practically shoved in my face! Why didn’t you say anything?! Now look at me, I’m a laughingstock! A total joke!” she screamed.

“And those fans! Every single one of them is as poor as dirt. They’re happy enough to call me by my nicknames, but all they give me is this rubbish! When it actually matters and I need some high-quality photos to go viral, they can’t take a single decent shot. They’re all hideous! It’s infuriating.”

Zhou Yue gripped her beer can tightly. She had never heard anything so absurd. “Is she insane? Talking about her fans like that? Does she have any idea how hard they work and how much they sacrifice just to see her?”

Du Yaozhi’s brow furrowed.

She loathed people who trampled on sincere feelings.

Giving your heart to someone is never easy; you have to pull it out and offer it up with trembling hands, terrified of rejection, holding it high even as the tears fall.

Yet, to betray that sincerity, all it takes is a cold shoulder or a moment of indifference.

Du Yaozhi tipped her head back and finished her beer in one angry gulp. With a flick of her wrist, the empty can landed in the bin with a dull thud.

The assistant must have tried to reason with her, as Xu Wanxin settled down slightly. The topic shifted, and suddenly, her tone changed entirely.

“Are you saying Teacher Shen is attending the Baoli Gala next month? Where did you hear that? Is it true?”

“No, no, that won’t do! What will people in the industry think of me? What will she think of me?”

The bitterness in Xu Wanxin’s voice softened, replaced by a sort of coquettish anxiety.

Specifically, the way she said “she.”

Others might not have noticed the nuance, but Du Yaozhi certainly did.

It reminded her far too much of herself years ago.

During the most wretched year of her life, Shen Qing had appeared in her world.

Inevitably, proximity led to feelings. Du Yaozhi had gradually fallen for her, eventually seeing Shen Qing as her “one,” even going so far as to pursue her.

The outcome was predictable.

From their first meeting at a business dinner to Du Yaozhi’s deliberate, calculated invitations and eventual intimacy—it was all one-sided. The love, the heartache—it was all Du Yaozhi giving everything she had, while Shen Qing had simply, coldly, cast her aside.

Perhaps in Shen Qing’s eyes, Du Yaozhi was nothing more than a rose without thorns—an actress playing a part, just an ordinary student.

Ambitious, soft on the outside but wild within, with a personality that wasn’t exactly easy to love.

But Xu Wanxin was different. She was an expert at playing the “good girl.”

Perhaps Shen Qing really would prefer someone like her?

The alcohol made the room feel stifling. The smoke from the barbecue hung heavy in the air, causing a fine sheen of sweat to break out on Du Yaozhi’s neck.

She hadn’t taken any sobriety meds this time, and she was starting to feel the effects. She pushed up her sleeves and tugged at the collar of her black sweater.

The skin from her collarbone to her neck was exposed, providing some relief, though the unnatural flush betrayed her intoxication.

The thought of Shen Qing and Xu Wanxin together flickered through her mind for only a second before she suppressed it. Now was not the time.

Two terrible people—why bother thinking about them?

The silence from the booth next door had lasted too long, and there was no sound of them leaving.

“Where did they go? Why is it so quiet?” Zhou Yue asked, puzzled. “Isn’t Xu Wanxin usually a nightmare to deal with? Did they really placate her that easily?”

“Shh, keep your voice down. The walls are thin,” Du Yaozhi said, tapping her fingers on the table as she rested one arm in the crook of the other.

She pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and picked up a shrimp. “Let’s wait a bit longer and let them leave first. We don’t need the drama.”

Zhou Yue nodded. “Right. Then we”

She was about to suggest they keep eating until the “princess” had cleared out, especially since they couldn’t drive and might need a lift from a friend nearby.

But just then, there was a sudden knock-knock on the door.

The sound hit their frayed nerves like a physical blow. Both women froze, their hearts hammering against their ribs. Zhou Yue was so tense she actually forgot how to breathe.

“Yaozhi, Xiao Zhou! You haven’t been here in ages! Why didn’t you say you were coming? Xiao Lin mentions you all the time!”

The owner’s face lit up when she saw them. Radiating warmth, she set down a platter of grilled oysters, wiping sweat from her brow with the towel around her neck.

“Auntie Liu?!” Zhou Yue gasped, caught between delight and panic. She glanced toward the wall, desperate to tell her to lower her voice.

But Auntie Liu was on a roll. She projected her voice even louder.

“Especially you, Yaozhi! Xiao Lin is always go on about you, saying you don’t act around here anymore! I remember when the two of you were here every day for skewers, talking about those… what was it? Big duck shifts?”

Under the table, Du Yaozhi patted Zhou Yue’s hand to calm her. She looked up and corrected her gently. “They were ‘overnight shoots’, Auntie.”

“Oh, right, right! Overnight shoots! Look at my memory!”

Auntie Liu, her apron stained with oil, rubbed her hands together. Her simple, honest face was crinkled with smiles. She pulled out her phone, looking a bit sheepish. “I don’t know anything about acting, and I’m no good with the internet! Haha! You two must be big stars now; I probably won’t even see you anymore!”

She pushed the platter of oysters toward them. “This is on the house! Look how thin you both are! Eat up, it’s my treat. Just come back and see me when you can, alright?”

“We will,” Du Yaozhi replied. Though she was dressed entirely in black—looking elegant yet distant—her soft features broke into a warm, approachable smile.

“Good! I’ll be counting on you two to bring in the crowds!”

Auntie Liu beamed, then hurried back to the kitchen, collecting a few empty plates as she went.

Halfway back, she nearly collided with a woman who looked like she was on the warpath. Auntie Liu was confused; who was this guest standing in the middle of the corridor, staring her down with such a nasty scowl? She didn’t dwell on it and headed into the back.

Xu Wanxin stood there, playing the role of the wealthy heiress. She rolled her eyes with disdain and turned around.

Her eyes locked with Du Yaozhi’s cold gaze.

With an arrogant lift of her chin, Xu Wanxin looked around the booth with mock pity before stepping inside.

If a sasaeng fan caught a celebrity in a place like this, it would be a PR disaster. Fortunately, it was remote and private enough that paparazzi didn’t usually lurk here.

“Well, well, Miss Du. What a coincidence. I wondered who it was, just a little washed-up actress. Life after your contract must be quite pathetic if you’re eating in a low-class dive like this.”

Du Yaozhi could only laugh. She slowly peeled off her disposable gloves and stood up, walking toward Xu Wanxin step by step.

“And yet, the great Miss Xu, heiress to Huasheng, can’t manage her own scandals and has to resort to throwing tantrums in a place like this because of a photographer. It seems to me you’re the one who’s more pathetic.”

Du Yaozhi stood at 172cm. In her heels, she towered over Xu Wanxin. She leaned down deliberately to meet the other woman’s eyes. “Did you come in here because you wanted me to feel sorry for you?”

Watching the scene, Zhou Yue couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

“What are you laughing at?!” Xu Wanxin barked, pointing an accusatory finger. “I’m only here to eat with you low-tier performers! You have no right to laugh at me!”

“I’m sorry…” Zhou Yue was laughing so hard she was nearly in tears, clutching her stomach. “I’ll try to stop.”

Truly, the fan site photos of Xu Wanxin must have been kind. If Zhou Yue took a photo of her now, snarling and baring her teeth—it would probably go even more viral.

“Exactly. Know your place.” Xu Wanxin dismissed Zhou Yue and turned back to Du Yaozhi.

Du Yaozhi folded her arms lazily. Under the overhead light, the sharp lines of her collarbone were clearly defined. she met Xu Wanxin’s fury with silence, curious to see what she would try next.

Xu Wanxin quickly regained her confidence, refusing to even look Du Yaozhi in the eye. “So, you want to be a big star, do you, Du Yaozhi?”

“You’ve been dragged on the trending searches for a week, no production will touch you, and you don’t even have an agency. And you still think you’ll be a star?”

Xu Wanxin fiddled with her fingernails, a contemptuous flick of her hand as if she were playing with a worthless toy.

“I’ve been invited to the Baoli Gala. Have you even heard of it?” Xu Wanxin sneered. “With my family’s resources and a good performance, I’ll be the star you dream of being. Maybe then I’ll give you an autograph.”

“Xu Wanxin, you’re exactly the same as you’ve always been,” Du Yaozhi said.

Just as naive. Just as arrogant.

“So what?”

Xu Wanxin gave a mocking laugh. Sensing she had hit a nerve, she looked at Du Yaozhi triumphantly. “At least I’m smart enough not to offend the heavy hitters. On the contrary, I know how to please them.”

“Please who?” Du Yaozhi asked bluntly.

The alcohol was definitely making her head swim; listening to Xu Wanxin was becoming genuinely funny.

Xu Wanxin’s voice was full of confidence as she uttered the name. “Shen Qing.”

She spoke the name slowly, then turned to Du Yaozhi with a smirk. “Do you know why it’s Shen Qing?”

She leaned in, whispering each word directly into Du Yaozhi’s ear. “Because I want you to understand the gap between us.”

Shen Qing. Shen Qing.

She just had to bring her up, didn’t she?

It was as if the world was determined to twist the knife at every opportunity.

Du Yaozhi’s expression darkened instantly.

But it was in that moment that she completely dismissed the thought that had flickered in her mind earlier.

Shen Qing would never like someone like Xu Wanxin.

Du Yaozhi had seen too many sycophants—they were like the grime of the industry, deeply embedded in the darker corners of show business.

It seemed everyone wanted to be near Shen Qing, to please her, to talk to her, to make a connection, even if it meant sacrificing their dignity.

Yet Shen Qing was like the moon reflected in a deep pool; the moment you tried to touch her, you realized she was untouchable.

Du Yaozhi wondered: What does that make me?

A failed lover who was just as filthy, yet actually gave her heart? Or just a hopeless fool? It was laughable—all that emotion wasted on someone as undeserving as Shen Qing.

“Lost your tongue? Don’t think I can’t tell you’re faking being drunk!”

Seeing no reaction from Du Yaozhi, Xu Wanxin’s temper flared again. “Who do you think you are, Du Yaozhi? I am the leading lady. I am the star! How dare you act all high and mighty in front of me!”

Du Yaozhi was dizzy and had lost all patience for standing there.

She wasn’t in the mood to deal with Xu Wanxin anymore. She pulled out her phone. “Fine. I’ll ask her myself if she’s ever heard of this ‘leading lady’.”

Not that she’ll actually pick up, she thought.

Du Yaozhi efficiently scrolled through her contacts until she found the name. With a cold face, she tapped into the chat history.

The last message was from a year ago, the night they had fallen out.

Shen Qing had asked her: Why?

But when Du Yaozhi had actually brought up the breakup, Shen Qing hadn’t said a word.

When the cold water had been thrown in her face, Shen Qing had simply closed her eyes, as if in silent consent, or perhaps indulgence.

Only when it was all over did Shen Qing send that message. Why?

Those three words sat isolated in their chat history, devoid of context, looking utterly out of place.

The sudden brightness of the screen made Du Yaozhi’s vision blur.

She squinted to focus, leaning against the edge of the table for support. She found the number buried in a sea of her own sent messages and hit dial.

Even though Du Yaozhi had deleted Shen Qing’s contact info, they had exchanged numbers in the past; the record was still there.

But Shen Qing never answered her calls.

Du Yaozhi had even begun to suspect that Shen Qing had never saved her number at all—that she simply didn’t care.

Still, it was a good way to rattle this brat.

Xu Wanxin’s expensive coat rustled as she moved. Seeing Du Yaozhi actually dial, she scoffed and adjusted her crocodile-skin bag with a sweet, fake smile. “Want to use my phone instead?”

“An artist of her level doesn’t pick up unknown numbers,” Xu Wanxin said coldly. “Don’t waste your time. Teacher Shen didn’t even reply to my holiday greetings, let alone”

Xu Wanxin’s words died in her throat.

Wait. Something was wrong.

She saw Du Yaozhi’s screen light up. The call had been connected!

From the speaker came a voice cool, elegant, with the slight, mature lilt of a woman.

“Hello?”

Shen Qing said.

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